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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. degree — from a university
  7. field — farmland
  8. degree — an amount
  9. face — part of the head
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. face — to confront
  13. field — a subject
  14. chip — for betting
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. field — for sport
  17. chip — to eat
  18. court — of a king
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. degree — temperature
  23. perch — the fish
  24. court — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com